The present invention relates broadly to thermal management devices for electronic components, such as integrated circuit (IC) chips. More particularly, the invention relates to a non-electrically conductive, low profile thermal dissipator for attachment to the heat transfer surface of an electronic component for the conductive and/or convective cooling of the component.
Circuit designs for modern electronic devices such as televisions, radios, computers, medical instruments, business machines, communications equipment, and the like have become increasingly complex. For example, integrated circuits have been manufactured for these and other devices which contain the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of transistors. Although the complexity of the designs has increased, the size of the devices has continued to shrink with improvements in the ability to manufacture smaller electronic components and to pack more of these components in an ever smaller area.
As electronic components such as IC semiconductor chips or dies have become smaller and, in turn, more densely packed on printed circuit boards (PCBs), designers and manufacturers now are faced with the challenge of how to dissipate the heat which is ohmicly or otherwise generated by these components. Indeed, it is well known that many electronic components, and especially power semiconductor components such as transistors and microprocessors, are more prone to failure or malfunction at high temperatures. Thus, the ability to dissipate heat often is a limiting factor on the performance of the component.
In basic construction, and as is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,488,254 and 5,359,768, semiconductor chips or dies typically are packaged by encapsulation in a ceramic or plastic chip carrier. External connections provided on the chip carrier allow for the chip to be mounted onto a PCB by wire bonding electrical leads on the carrier through a common mounting surface on the board, or by surface mounting the carrier directly to the mounting surface of the board. Recently, the industry trend has been away from ceramic chip carrier packages and toward plastic packages. Usually molded of an engineering thermoplastic material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PETP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetherimide (PEI), polyetherether ketone (PEEK), polyetherketone (PEK), or polyimide (PI), or a thermosetting material such as an epoxy or an epoxy-phenolic composite, these plastic chip packages typically are less expensive than their ceramic counterparts. However, these plastic materials generally exhibit less efficient heat transfer characteristics as compare to other package materials, and therefore may raise additional thermal dissipation considerations.
Electronic components within integrated circuits traditionally have been cooled via forced or convective circulation of air within the housing of the device. In this regard, cooling fins have been provided as an integral part of the component package or as separately attached thereto for increasing the surface area of the package exposed to convectively-developed air currents. Electric fans additionally have been employed to increase the volume of air which is circulated within the housing. For high power circuits and the smaller but more densely packed circuits typical of current electronic designs, however, simple air circulation often has been found to be insufficient to adequately cool the circuit components. One approached has been to design integral metal or ceramic heat sinks into the die package or mounting assembly, such as is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,175,612; 5,608,267; 5,605,863; 5,525,835; 5,560,423; and 5,596,231.
Heat dissipation beyond that which is attainable by simple air circulation may be effected by the direct mounting of the electronic component to a thermal dissipation member such as a xe2x80x9ccold platexe2x80x9d or other heat sink. The heat sink may be a dedicated, thermally-conductive metal plate, or simply the chassis or circuit board of the device. To improve the heat transfer efficiency through the interface, a layer of a thermally-conductive, electrically-insulating material typically is interposed between the heat sink and electronic component to fill in any surface irregularities and eliminate air pockets. Initially employed for this purpose were materials such as silicone grease or wax filled with a thermally-conductive filler such as aluminum oxide. Such materials usually are semi-liquid or solid at normal room temperature, but may liquefy or soften at elevated temperatures to flow and better conform to the irregularities of the interface surfaces.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,715 discloses a wax-like, heat-conducting material which is combined with another heat-conducting material, such as a beryllium, zinc, or aluminum oxide powder, to form a mixture for completing a thermally-conductive path from a heated element to a heat sink. A preferred wax-like material is a mixture of ordinary petroleum jelly and a natural or synthetic wax, such as beeswax, palm wax, or mineral wax, which mixture melts or becomes plastic at a temperature above normal room temperature. The material can be excoriated or ablated by marking or rubbing, and adheres to the surface on which it was rubbed. In this regard, the material may be shaped into a rod, bar, or other extensible form which may be carried in a pencil-like dispenser for application.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,483 discloses a thermally-conductive, electrically-insulating gasket. The gasket includes a web or tape which is formed of a material which can be impregnated or loaded with an electrically-insulating, heat conducting material. The tape or web functions as a vehicle for holding the meltable material and heat conducting ingredient, if any, in a gasket-like form. For example, a central layer of a solid plastic material may be provided, both sides of which are coated with a meltable mixture of wax, zinc oxide, and a fire retardant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,113 discloses a thermally-conductive, electrically-insulating sheet for application to the surface of an electronic apparatus. The sheet is provided as having a coating on each side thereof a material which changes state from a solid to a liquid within the operating temperature range of the electronic apparatus. The material may be formulated as a meltable mixture of wax and zinc oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,845 discloses a thermally-cooled electronic assembly which includes a housing containing electronic components. A heat sink material fills the housing in direct contact with the electronic components for conducting heat therefrom. The heat sink material comprises a paste-like mixture of particulate microcrystalline material such as diamond, boron nitride, or sapphire, and a filler material such as a fluorocarbon or paraffin. The greases and waxes of the aforementioned types heretofore known in the art, however, generally are not self-supporting or otherwise form stable at room temperature and are considered to be messy to apply to the interface surface of the heat sink or electronic component. Moreover, use of such materials typically involves hand application or lay-up by the electronics assembler which increases manufacturing costs.
Another approach has been to substitute a cured, sheet-like material or pad for the silicone grease or wax material. Such materials may be compounded as containing one or more thermally-conductive particulate fillers dispersed within a polymeric binder, and may be provided in the form of cured sheets, tapes, pads, or films. Typical binder materials include silicones, urethanes, thermoplastic rubbers, and other elastomers, with typical fillers including aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, boron nitride, and aluminum nitride.
Exemplary of the aforesaid interface materials is an alumina or boron nitride-filled silicone or urethane elastomer which is marketed under the name CHO-THERM(copyright) by the Chomerics Division of Parker-Hannifin Corp., 77 Dragon Court, Woburn, Mass. 01888. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,954 discloses a cured, form-stable, sheet-like, thermally-conductive material for transferring thermal energy. The material is formed of a urethane binder, a curing agent, and one or more thermally conductive fillers. The fillers, which may include aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, magnesium oxide, or zinc oxide, range in particle size from about 1-50 microns (0.05-2 mils).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,754 discloses a xe2x80x9cthermal linkxe2x80x9d for providing a thermal pathway between a heat source and a heat sink. In one embodiment, a thermally conductive elastomeric material, such as a silicone filled with silver-copper particles, is formed into a mat having a plurality of raised sections. The raised sections deform under low pressure to conform to the space between the heat source and the heat sink.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,893 discloses a thermally-conductive, electrically-insulative pad for placement between an electronic component and its support frame. The pad is formed of a high dielectric strength material in which is dispersed diamond powder. In this regard, the diamond powder and a liquid phase of the high dielectric strength material may be mixed and then formed into a film and cured. After the film is formed, a thin layer thereof is removed by chemical etching or the like to expose the tips of the diamond particles. A thin boundary layer of copper or other metal then is bonded to the top and bottom surfaces of the film such that the exposed diamond tips extend into the surfaces to provide pure diamond heat transfer paths across the film. The pad may be joined to the electronic component and the frame with solder or an adhesive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,911 discloses a composite interfacing for the withdrawal and dissipation of heat from an electronic, solid-state device by an associated heat sink. The interfacing consists of dual layers of a compliant silicone rubber carried on either side of a porous glass cloth. The layers are filled with finely-divided heat-conducting particles which may be formed of alumina or another metal oxide, or an electrically-conductive material such as nickel or graphite. One of the silicone layers is pre-vulcanized, with the other being cured and bonded in place once the interfacing has been applied to the heat sink surface for abutment with the electronic device.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,954 discloses a form-stable material for use in transferring thermal energy from an electronic component to a heat sink. The material is formulated as the reaction product of a urethane resin and a curing agent, and is filled with one or more thermally conductive fillers such as zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum nitride, or boron nitride. The material may be formed as including a support layer of a glass cloth, plastic mesh or film, or a metal mesh or foil.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,699 discloses a printed circuit device which includes a memory chip mounted on a printed circuit card. The card is separated from an associated cold plate by a layer of a silicone elastomer which is applied to the surface of the cold plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,119 discloses a heat sink assembly which includes an electronic component supported on a printed circuit board in a spaced-apart relationship from a heat dispersive member. A thermally-conductive, elastomeric layer is interposed between the board and the electronic component. The elastomeric member may be formed of silicone and preferably includes a filler such as aluminum oxide or boron nitride.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,074 discloses a printed circuit board device which includes a circuit board separated from a thermally-conductive plate by a pre-molded sheet of silicone rubber. The sheet may be loaded with a filler such as alumina or boron nitride.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,114 discloses a conformable, gel-like pad having a thermally-conductive filler for conducting heat away from a packaged electronic power device. The pad is formed of a cured silicone resin which is filled with a thermally-conductive material such as aluminum powder, nickel, aluminum oxide, iron oxide, beryllium oxide, or silver. A thin sheet of a thermally-conductive metal such as aluminum is positioned in contact with the surface of the conformable pad for increased thermal transfer.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,959 discloses a thermally-conductive, electrically insulating interface material comprising a thermoplastic or cross linked elastomer filled with hexagonal boron nitride or alumina. The material may be formed as a mixture of the elastomer and filler, which mixture then may be cast or molded into a sheet or other form.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,777 discloses an interface device of thermally coupling an integrated circuit to a heat sink. The device includes a first material, such as copper, having a high thermal conductivity, which is provided to completely surround a plurality of inner core regions. The inner core regions contain a material such as an iron-nickel alloy having a low coefficient of thermal expansion.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,480 discloses another thermally-conductive, electrically-insulating filled elastomer. A preferred filler is hexagonal boron nitride. The filled elastomer may be formed into blocks, sheets, or films using conventional methods.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,213,868 and 5,298,791 disclose a thermally-conductive interface material formed of a polymeric binder and one or more thermally-conductive fillers. The fillers may be particulate solids, such as aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, magnesium oxide, or zinc oxide. The material may be formed by casting or molding, and preferably is provided as a laminated acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tape. At least one surface of the tape is provided as having channels or through-holes formed therein for the removal of air from between that surface and the surface of a substrate such as a heat sink or an electronic component. Such a tape is marketed commercially by the Chomerics Division of Parker-Hannifin Corp., Woburn, Mass., under the tradename THERMATTACH(copyright).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,320 discloses a xe2x80x9cconduction converterxe2x80x9d for a printed circuit board having electronic components. The converter includes a body of a thermally conductive dielectric material, such as an alumina-filled RTV silicone, which is molded to the exact configuration of the electronic components. The converter may be clamped intermediate a cold plate and the circuit board to conductively remove heat from the electronic components.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,582 discloses an electronic component heat sink assembly which includes a thermally-conductive laminate formed of polyamide which underlies a layer of a boron nitride-filled silicone. The laminate is interposed between the electronic component and the housing of the assembly.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,174 discloses a thermally-conductive, titanium diboride (TiB2) filler providing improved thermal conductivity at low application pressures. The filler may be incorporated into elastomers, films, and tapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,473 discloses a thermally conductive interface for electronic components. The interface is formed of an open structure fluoropolymer material such as an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. Thermally conductive particles, which may be formed of a metal or metal oxide, or another material such as boron nitride, aluminum nitride, diamond powder, or silicone carbide, are attached to portions of the fluoropolymer material.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,533,256 and 5,471,027 disclose a method of joining a multi-layered ceramic (MLC) electronic package. The method involves the use of a double-sided, pressure-sensitive, thermally-conductive adhesive tape to directly bond the heat sink to an upper, exposed surface of the chip as mounted on a circuit board.
International Publication No. WO 96/37915 discloses an electronic assembly including an active circuit having surface mount components, an insulating layer, and an aluminum heat sink. The insulating layer comprises an unfilled thermoplastic sheet having adhesive layers on opposite sides thereof. The adhesive layers preferably are selected as a thermoplastic or thermosetting adhesive or pressure sensitive adhesive formulation containing a thermally-conductive and, optionally, electrically-conductive filler material which may be a metallic, inorganic, or ceramic particulate. The unfilled sheet preferably is a thin film of an engineering thermoplastic such as a polyester, polyetherimides, polyimide, or the like. A preferred adhesive is a solvent-borne, water-based, or hot melt thermoplastic adhesive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,962 discloses an electrically and thermally conductive adhesive transfer tape for attaching individual semiconductor dies or chips to conductive substrates. The transfer tape comprises a flexible, low-adhesion carrier web to which is lightly adhered a layer of an adhesive containing electrically and thermally conductive particles. The particle containing adhesive layer is removed from the carrier web and compressed between the die and the substrate for attaching the die to the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,249 discloses a mounting pad for solid-state, semiconductor devices such as a transistors, diodes, and the like. The mounting pad incorporates a metallic base layer in the form of a solid metal sheet or a pair of outer metal foil layers disposed on opposing surfaces of a thermally-conductive adherent core layer such as a silicone rubber core. The mounting pad also includes a thermally-conductive, silicone rubber layer integral with the base layer. The mounting pad may be secured to the semiconductor device or to a heat sink surface by adhesive bonding or vulcanization.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,269 discloses a heat dissipator which includes a ceramic plate having a first surface disposable in a heat transfer relationship with an opposing surface of a ceramic substrate on which electronic components are mounted, and a second surface on which is mounted a plurality of separate, spaced-apart metallic heat conducting elements. A thermosetting adhesive layer may be used to bond the first surface of the plate to the opposing surface of the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,067 discloses electrically-insulating, but thermally-conductive xe2x80x9cheat shuntxe2x80x9d components which are attached to PCBs along with conventional electronic components. The shunts are provided as a small bar of ceramic having spaced-apart metal mounting pads on the ends thereof for soldering to the PCB.
A thermally-conductive ferrite tile is marked commercially by Intermark Inc., New York, N.Y., under the trade designation SD-28-28-0.8. The tile is described for use as a thermal interface material which is interposable between a CPU and a heat sink to provide EMI shielding without affecting the thermal dissipation of the heat sink.
Yet another approach for the cooling of electronic components, and particularly components that are densely packed on a circuit board, involves the use of a metal foil thermal dissipator. As is detailed in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,326, such dissipator includes a light-weight, thermal dissipation layer formed of a relatively thin, e.g., 1-30 mil, and flexible copper or other metal foil sheet, and an attached pressure-sensitive adhesive pad for bonding the foil sheet to a surface of the electronic component. As compared to more conventional cast or extruded metal plate, fin, pin, or other heat sinks, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,703,339; 5,304,846; 5,294,831; 4,765,397; 4,953,634; 5,381,859, 5,241,452; 5,049,981; and 5,107,330, such dissipator is lighter and less expensive, has a lower profile to accommodate different mounting opportunities even in a relatively confined spaces, eliminates the need for a clip or other mechanical attachment means, and is readily removable for repair or replacement of the component. Dissipators of such type are marketed commercially under the name T-Wing(trademark), by the Chomerics Division of Parker-Hannifin Corp., Woburn, Mass., as including a 7 mil (0.175 mm) thick sheet of copper foil which is laminated on both sides with an electrically-insulating polymeric film laminated on both sides. A 2-3 mil (0.051 mm) thick silicone pressure sensitive adhesive pad is affixed to on side of the foil sheet for the attachment of the dissipator to the surface of the die package.
In certain applications, however, especially those having high circuit densities or operating at high clock speed frequencies, i.e., 200 MHz or more, an electrical field coupling effect may be induced whereby the metal heat transfer material of a heat sink or thermal dissipator functions as a form of antenna in amplifying the electronic noise generated by the circuit. That is, the operation of electronic devices including televisions, radios, computers, medical instruments, business machines, communications equipment, and the like generally is attended by the generation of electromagnetic radiation within the electronic circuitry of the equipment. Such radiation often develops as a field or as transients within the radio frequency band of the electromagnetic spectrum, i.e., between about 10 KHz and 10 GHz, and is termed xe2x80x9celectromagnetic interferencexe2x80x9d (EMI) as being known to interfere with the operation of other proximate electronic devices. The addition of metallic heat transfer materials in the form of heat sinks or thermal dissipators mounted onto the surface of one ore more of the electronic components in the circuitry of the device has been observed to sometimes amplify this EMI noise by as much as 100 times or more.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that improvements in the design of thermal dissipators for densely-packed or otherwise high frequency electronic circuits would be well-received by the electronics and other industries. Especially desired would be an efficient, yet inexpensive and easy to use thermal dissipator for electronic components which does not contribute to, and preferably attenuates, the EMI field generated by the circuit.
The present invention is directed to a relatively thin, i.e., less than 100 mils, low profile thermal dissipator which is formed of an electrically non-conducting and, optionally, EMI absorbing, material. The dissipator, which may be configured as having a general planar geometry, unexpectedly has been found to exhibit heat transfer or cooling performance comparable to metal-based dissipators of similar geometries. Advantageously, however, in being electrically non-conductive and, optionally, EMI absorbing or xe2x80x9clossy,xe2x80x9d the dissipator of the present invention obviates the antenna coupling and EMI amplification effect heretofore observed in some applications with conventional metal-based dissipators.
In one preferred embodiment, the dissipator includes a generally planar thermal dissipation member which is less than about 100 mil in thickness and is formed of a ceramic material such as an aluminum oxide or nitride. Onto one side of the dissipation member is applied a layer of a pressure sensitive adhesive- which, depending upon the package material of the electronic component, may be acrylic or silicone-based. For ease of handling and application, the outer surface of the adhesive layer may be faced with a release liner. In use, with the release liner removed, the outer surface of the adhesive layer may be removably bonded under pressure, either manually or with the use of automated equipment, to the upper surface of an electronic component, such as a microprocessor/CPU or other IC chip. Optionally, the outer surface of the adhesives layer may be embossed with a cross-hatched pattern, as is shown in the commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,213,868 and 5,298,791, for additional conformability to the heat transfer surface of the component with minimal air entrapment. In another preferred embodiment, the thermal dissipation member is formed of an electrically non-conductive, ceramic material which additionally is EMI-lossy. Such material, which may be a ferrite, not only obviates the antenna effect, but also provides positive EMI shielding by attenuating, up to about 10-20 dB or more, the transient EMI field generated by the component circuitry.
It is, therefore, a feature of a disclosed embodiment of the present invention to provide a heat transfer assembly including a substrate having an upper surface, a heat-generating source mounted on the upper surface of the substrate; and a thermal dissipator mounted on the source. The source has a first heat transfer surface disposed in confrontation with the upper surface of the substrate and an opposing second heat transfer surface of predefined margins. The thermal dissipator is mounted on the second heat transfer surface of the source, and features a thermal dissipation member having a top and bottom surface, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer disposed on the thermal dissipation member to cover at least a portion of the bottom surface thereof. The thermal dissipation member, which is formed of a thermally-conductive, electrically-nonconductive ceramic material, may be configured as having a low profile, generally planar geometry. The pressure sensitive adhesive layer has an inner surface adhered to the bottom surface of the thermal dissipation member, and an outer surface bonded to the second heat transfer surface of the source to dispose the dissipation member in a heat transfer relationship therewith.
Another feature of a disclosed embodiment of the present invention involves a thermal dissipator which is disposable in a heat transfer relationship with a heat-generating source mounted on a substrate having an upper surface. The source has a first heat transfer surface disposed in confrontation with the upper surface of the substrate and an opposing second heat transfer surface of predefined margins. The thermal dissipator features a thermal dissipation member having a top and bottom surface, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer disposed on the thermal dissipation member to cover at least a portion of the bottom surface thereof. The thermal dissipation member, which is formed of a thermally-conductive, electrically-nonconductive ceramic material, may be configured as having a low profile, generally planar geometry. The pressure sensitive adhesive layer has an inner surface adhered to the bottom surface of the thermal dissipation member and an outer surface which is bondable to the second heat transfer surface of the source for attaching the dissipator to the source in a heat transfer relationship therewith.
Yet another feature of a disclosed embodiment of the present invention is to provide a method of transferring heat from a heat-generating source mounted on a substrate having an upper surface. The source has a first heat transfer surface disposed in confrontation with the upper surface of the substrate and an opposing second heat transfer surface of predefined margins. The method involves providing a thermal dissipator featuring a thermal dissipation member having a top and bottom surface, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer disposed on the thermal dissipation member to cover at least a portion of the bottom surface thereof. The thermal dissipation member, which is formed of a thermally-conductive, electrically-nonconductive ceramic material, may be configured as having a low profile, generally planar geometry. The pressure sensitive adhesive layer has an inner surface adhered to the bottom surface of the thermal dissipation member and an outer surface. That outer surface is bonded under pressure to the second surface of the source to attach the dissipator to the source in a heat transfer relationship therewith.
Advantages of the present invention include a lightweight, low cost, low profile thermal dissipator especially adapted for high circuit density or high frequency applications in offering cooling performance comparable to metal-based devices but without appreciable EMI amplification effects. Additional advantages include an electrically non-conductive thermal dissipator for use in restricted space environments which affords easy xe2x80x9cpeel and stickxe2x80x9d placement under relatively low application pressures on a wide variety of component packages including PQFP, MQUAD, PGA, SQFP, and CQFP. Additional advantages include an thermal dissipator which may be installed without the use of clips, screws, or other extraneous mechanical fasteners, and which may be easily removed after installation for repair or rework of the component. These and other advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art based upon the disclosure contained herein.